Carys Trevelyan
Carys Amelia Trevelyan, born in 9:16 Dragon, also known as the Inquisitor or the Herald of Andraste, is an enchanter from the Circle of Magi in Ostwick who became the leader of the second Inquisition in 9:41 Dragon. Overview Physical Appearance Carys is of average height for a human woman, standing at 162 cm (5.3"). She is of slight build, not curvy or muscular. Her skin is rather pale and she has light blonde, shoulderlength hair she usually wears openly. Personality Carys is a very introverted person and struggles with social anxiety. She hates being the center of attention, which makes being Inquisitor very difficult for her. Carys is also very insecure about a lot of choices she has to make as Inquisitor, often agonizing over them. People often try to use this and manipulate Carys in their favor. Growing up in the Circle of Magi, Carys only had very few friends; but those that she had were rather close to her. However, none of them is still alive after the Mage-Templar war and the Conclave, which leaves her with both a sense of loneliness and survivor's guilt, as she often feels overwhelmed with her responsibilites and thinks that pretty much any of her friends and acquaintances would have fulfilled the role of Inquisitor better. Over time, Carys grows accustomed to her role, although she never feels quite comfortable with it and always relies heavily on the input of her advisors and companions. Carys dislikes violence and tries to avoid it whenever possible. One the one hand, she indeed believes violence to create more problems than it could ever solve; on the other hand, she is also simply scared of it. Having lived a sheltered life - first in a noble family, then in a Circle, the mage rebellion is the first instance of major violence Carys ever encounters, and she has trouble adapting to it. Carys is a firm believer in mage freedom and was part of the Libertarian fraternity in the Circle of Ostwick; however, she advocates the usage of peaceful means to achieve this goal and disapproves of violent revolting, as e.g. seen in Kirkwall. 'Talents and Skills' Carys is highly talented in academic matters, especially logic and mathematics, for which she also was a teacher at the Circle of Ostwick. Carys is highly talented in academic matters - most notably logics and mathematics, for which she also was appointed teacher in the Circle of Ostwick. She is also well educated in magical theory, history, literature and linguistics. She is fluent in both Common and Tevene and can understand quite a bit of Elven. She also has a passion for puzzles and riddles, and over time, she has become fairly good at solving them. Concerning her magic, Carys excels at defensive magic, i.e. shields, barriers and similiar spells, but her offensive capabilities were average at best when the Circles fell. After extensive training with Inquisition forces and picking up the Knight-Enchanter specialisation, however, Carys' offensive magic is respectable, as well; she specializes in ice and water magic. Due to her noble origin and her extensive studies, Carys is familiar with noble customs and politics. While her lacking social skills prevent her from excelling at "The Game", she can play it decently enough. Biography History Carys is the youngest of three children born to Bann Carthach Trevelyan of Ostwick and his wife Brianna. She has two older brothers, Garrett and Bevan, who are five and three years older than Carys, respectively. The Trevelyans are a respected noble house in Ostwick, with very close ties to the Chantry; Carys has several relatives in the Chantry and the Templars. While her oldest brother Garrett was educated into being the family heir, Bevan was given to the Templars at age 10 - Carys was 7 at that point. Two years after her brother had left, Carys began to show signs of magical talent. To her parents, this came as a shock, as the Trevelyans had close to no magic in their bloodline and this was certainly unexpected. Being devout Andrastians, Carys' parents immediatly called upon the Templars when they realized what was going on with their daughter. They confirmed that Carys was indeed a mage and took her to the Circle of Ostwick - because of Carys' young age, they did not want to make her travel all that far, as she was upset and scared enough as it was. Bevan, who had been training with the Templars of Ostwick, was relocated to Tantervale after a few weeks, as having mages and templars from the same family in one circle was viewed as potentially dangerous. Being a quiet and shy child, Carys had massive troubles adapting to the new circumstances - she missed her family very much and had difficulties understanding why she was taken away from them. This was made even worse by the rumors that came up, which said that Carys might be the result of an affair rather than Carthach's child, given the rarity of mages having to mage relatives whatsoever. Because of them, her father grew somewhat resentful towards Carys, fearing that there might be truth to them, while her mother feared that showing any kind of unusual support for her mage child would confirm the rumors further. Both of them also feared that the magic that now showed in their bloodline would be harmful towards the Trevelyans' reputation and thus were not all too eager to shift any kind of attention towards Carys. Their relationship with their child grew distant and even cold at times. Carys slowlily adapted to her new life. When the initial fear and resentment faded, she showed a very curious nature and quick wit, as well as politeness and obedience towards the other mages and the templars. These traits made her popular with her mentors and teachers, but among her peers, she soon had a reputation of being boring and a teacher's pet, which, alongside with her shyness, made making friends very difficult. When she grew older, these problems lessened, but they never ceased entirely, and Carys never had more than two close friends a time. She grew, however, to be well-respected in the Circle because of her academic talents and her inexhaustible thrist for knowledge. By the time the Circles started collapsing, Carys had already published a few research papers and was on a good way to earn a higher position in the Circle. Ever since the destruction of the Kirkwall chantry in 9:37 Dragon, there was constant unrest in the Circle of Ostwick. While not everyone approved of Anders' actions - including Carys -, Meredith was seen as a symbol for everything wrong with the templars. However, the Circle of Ostwick could avoid annulment, even though it was a close call at times. When the Circles and the Templars declared their independence, the Circle of Ostwick finally collapsed. A large fight broke out upon the news reaching Ostwick, and many mages and templars were killed in the chaos. Carys managed to escape the tower with a small group of other mages and children, but they were caught by templar reinforcements upon trying to leave the city. The templars proceeded to slaughter the majority of the group - only Carys, an apprentice named Leon and two children managed to get away. With her small group, Carys saw no other option than to flee to her parents' house, who, to her surprise, agreed to hide her and her friends for a while. When the Conclave was called, Carys immediately departed, fearing that she might otherwise overstay her welcome at her devout parents' house. She sent a message to Tantervale, urging her brother Bevan to meet her at the Conclave. In-game Unable to find her brother at the Conclave, Carys had planned to join the mages' delegation at the Conclave when she unknowingly interrupted the ritual Corypheus was doing. Thrown into the Fade alongside Divine Justinia, only Carys made it out of the Fade alive, while in the physical world, the entire rest of the Conclave had died in an explosion. Carys immediately fell unconscious after leaving the Fade and was captured by Chantry forces commanded by Seeker Cassandra, the Right Hand of the Divine, who proceeded to interrogate Carys in the chantry of Haven. Carys agreed to help closing the rifts with the mark the events had left on her hand. She suceeded in temporarily sealing the Breach, but lost consciousness again. Awakening three days later, Carys found that a large number of people were not only not suspecting her any longer, but instead calling her - a mage - "The Herald of Andraste", believing her to be sent by Andraste and/or the Maker themselves to save them from the Breach. The Chantry, however, branded Carys - and everyone who followed her - a heretic. Overwhelmed by the rapid events and the unwanted attention, Carys still agreed to help the Inquisition to restore order. When asked if she believed herself to be chosen, Carys replied that she did not know, but did not have any better explanation - which was enough to spread persistent rumors of her having confirmed being chosen. Decisions in the game (will expand on this at a later point): - In Hushed Whispers: allied with the mages - Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts: truce for Orlais; Florianne lives - Here Lies the Abyss: Loghain died in the Fade; Wardens were recruited - What Pride Had Wrought: respected Temple's traditions, but did not ally with the guardians; Morrigan drank from the well - Doom upon all world: Leliana is made Divine - Jaws of Hakkon: Spread truth about Ameridan - Trespasser: preserved Inquisition; try to convince Solas - Advisors: Leliana was inspired; Cullen is not taking lyrium; Josephine did favors for DuParaquettes - Companions: Cassandra rebuilds Seekers; Dorian reconciled with his father; Blackwall was made a Warden; Iron Bull saved the Chargers; Sera did not kill Harmond and left the Inquisition; Vivienne received a real snow wyvern heart. Post-game After the Exalted Council, the Inquisition was preserved as an elite peacekeeping force under the command of Divine Victoria alias Leliana, but downsized considerably - only the most trustworthy and most committed members stayed. Cassandra took her position as right hand of the Divine back, and while not being an official member of the Inquisition anymore, she worked together with them closely. Carys and Cullen led the new Inquisition, their first priority being - of course - stopping Solas. Relationships Family Bann Carthach Trevelyan: "My father is ... everything you would expect from a Free Marches noble. Religious, stern, traditionalist, but not without kindness. Not very excited about having a mage for a daughter, though. I can understand that, but that does not make it hurt any less." Brianna Trevelyan: "Rumor is that my mother had an affair with an apostate - which I am the result of. True or not, my mother was certainly eager to have me out of the way once my magic showed - to protect her reputation, one way or another." Garrett Trevelyan: "We had visiting days in the Ostwick Circle, you know. My parents rarely showed up... once a year, maybe? But Garrett, he was always there, even when my parents had tried to talk him out of it. He is my brother and my best friend, and I will not forget the kindness he had for me when no one else had." Bevan Trevelyan: "Bevan had already joined the templars when my magic showed. They relocated him to Tantervale to avoid having us in the same Circle. After that, we didn't talk for years. We had meant to meet at the Conclave, but he didn't make it in time. In hindsight, I am glad about that." extended family: "My family is very large. My parents have three siblings each, and most of them have multiple children of their own. Not to start with the second cousind and the likes. To be honest, I'm not close to any of them. Being the only mage in a very religious family is somewhat isolating." Advisors and Companions Cullen: "Well... he's my husband. That should tell you enough, I think - no? Well, uhm ... I love him. I'm not particularly happy that this war - and everything that came after - had to happen, but - without it, I might have missed out on the greatest person in my life. The Maker's sense of humor - in more ways than one." Josephine: 'People often underestimate Josephine's impact in the Inquisition ... I think it's because she is always so polite. Without her, I would probably have been murdered for my manners at Celene's ball. Maker, that was awful. I still don't understand how she can enjoy that kind of thing, but I'm sure thankful she does."'' '''Leliana: 'I am grateful to call Leliana - or Divine Victoria, that is - a friend of mine. The Chantry was in dire need of change, and if anyone can manage to make that happen, it's her, I trust in that. Leliana led the Inquisition to victory - there is no reason to doubt she will master her next challenge, too."'' '''Morrigan: "I'm getting a bit tired of people telling me not to trust Morrigan over and over. Have we all forgotten already that she helped ending the Blight? Will I regret leaving the Well of Sorrows to her? Maybe. Maybe I'll be grateful I did. No way to know, so I guess there's no point in losing sleep over it." Dorian: 'It's so sad to see how many people think badly of Dorian, based on nothing but the fact that he is from Tevinter. But, you know, when I'd say that to him, he probably would just say 'Their loss' and smile about it. I admire this kind of bravery in him and I don't care what people say, either - he is one of my best friends."'' '''Vivienne: 'Vivienne is an ... interesting person. Very determined and, uhm, ambitious. Sadly, our ideals did not align at all, and I feel that Vivienne might have miscalculated just how much influence she'd have on the Inquisition's course. I know that she holds that against me, but frankly, that is her problem, not mine."'' '''Solas: 'You know I can't say much about that, right? Just know that the threat Solas poses for Thedas might match the one Corypheus' was. I have no illusions about that. But he is also my friend, and I'll not fight him without at least trying to make him see reason. If he does not, then ... I'll do what I have to."'' '''Cassandra: 'At first, Cassandra frightened me. I suppose that is understandable, given that my first impression of her was her threatening to kill me over something I had not even done. Thankfully, we got better after that. Are we friends? Well ... I'm not sure, but ... yes, I think we are friends."'' '''Blackwall: 'Blackwall. Yeah. Weird story. I'm still a bit in awe about how well he managed to cover his tracks - I'm told even Leliana had no clue about his true identity. Maybe he can make up for what he did now, that he is an actual Warden. Blackwall - the real one - saw the potential in him, so I had to give him that chance."'' '''The Iron Bull: "I can't say I'm very upset about Bull leaving the Qun. We might have lost our connection to the Ben-Hassrath, but what we gained is worth a lot more - an ally, a friend - and for some of us, even more. I'm happy for Dorian and him." Varric: 'I heard that they made Varric the new viscount of Kirkwall, and I'm really uncertain whether this was the best or worst thing they could've come up with. But after all the city's been through, it's good to know that it is now ruled by someone who had their heart in the right place. Even if he'd never admit it."'' '''Sera: 'I'm sorry for the choice of words, but Sera is batshit insane. There's no mild way to put it. I can deal with a certain amount of crazy, but Sera simply was too much for me. Recruiting her into the Inquisition was a mistake in the first place, but I am glad that she left before she could do to much damage."'' '''Cole: 'I think Cole is adjusting well to his new life as a human. Of course I still wonder if it was the right thing to do, instead of him sticking to his spirit nature... but looking at him, I do think that he's happy, and I suppose that must be worth something."'' '''Others Hero of Ferelden: "I've never met Lady Aeducan in person, but she once sent a letter to the Inquisition. It was her who convinced King Bhelen to send dwarven soldiers, which was a great help. Oh, and now I am also proud owner of a caricature of Corypheus, drawn by a Paragon herself. I'm told that's just how she is." Hawke: "I have a lot of respect for Hawke. It surely takes a lot of spine to fight this fiercely for a cause that is not even your own. That said, I still think that there would have been better ways to start a revolution than to confirm every single fear the templars had about mages ... which is exactly what Anders did." Miscellaneous * The Hero of Ferelden of her worldstate is Siv Aeducan. * The Champion of Kirkwall of her worldstate is Alecto Hawke. * Carys' name is pronounced ˈkɛ.ɹɪs. ** In the real world, Carys is a name of welsh origin, meaning "love" or "my loved one". Her middle name, Amelia, is derived from the Germanic word "amal" for "work". * Her birthday is the 28th Haring (28th December). * Due to the sheer size of her family, Carys encounters multiple people she is technically related to during her time as Inquisitor. Those include Cassandra (one of Carys' grandmothers was a Pentaghast), Dorian (the Pavus family has a Trevelyan in their ancestors), Professor Bran Kenric (a distant cousin) and Sebastian Vael (second cousin). She is also related to Knight-Commander Meredith of Kirkwall, and both Meredith's sister Amelia and Carys' middle name are named by a shared great-grandmother. 'Links' Reddit Headcanon Threads: Romance interest headcanon thread Reddit Writing prompt Threads: Non-Reddit links (AO3, DeviantArt, Tumblr): Spotify playlist for Carys (Login required) Gallery Carys Trevelyan-0.png|Carys Trevelyan Category:Human Category:Mage Category:Inquisitor Category:Cullen Romance Category:Knight Enchanter Category:Athanasia94